Maksim Chmerkovskiy Honors ‘DWTS’ Partner Kirstie Alley: ‘I Thought You’d Be Around Forever’
Kirstie Alley #KirstieAlley
Maksim Chmerkovskiy is remembering his former Dancing with the Stars partner Kirstie Alley, who died on Monday at the age of 71.
In a candid post on Instagram early Tuesday, Chmerkovskiy, 42, shared a photo of himself and Alley from their time on the long-running reality competition series.
“My dearest Kirstie,” he began in his caption, “We haven’t spoken lately and I’ll tell you everything when I finally see you, but for now I want to say that I love you very much and I wish you the most peaceful rest.”
“You were one of the most unique people I have ever met and easily one of the brightest moments of my personal and professional life,” the dance pro continued.
Chmerkovskiy and Alley first partnered on season 12 of DWTS in 2011 and came in second place. Alley returned to the dance floor a year later, paired up with Chmerkovskiy again for season 15’s all-star edition. The two were eliminated seventh.
“From Maude to DJ Lil Buttercup you were always all in for life,” Chmerkovskiy wrote in his tribute. “As I’m typing this, memories of our time together rush to my head, I remember how absolutely wild you were and I start to tear up. Something you’d absolutely hate. And now I can’t help but smile because I remembered exactly what you wanted me to say at your funeral. Don’t think I can do it here…”
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Though the pair had a special bond, Alley and Chmerkovskiy also spatted publicly earlier this year over her tweets about the Ukraine war. “I don’t know what’s real or what is fake in this war,” she had posted. “So I won’t be commenting. I’ll pray instead.”
In response, Chmerkovskiy — who was on the ground in Ukraine as soon as Russia first invaded his birth country in February — called Alley out on Instagram.
“We haven’t spoken in a while, but I clearly remember being right next to you while you were organizing trucks of aid during Hurricane Sandy and I remember all that you were saying to me about situations where innocent are suffering,’ he wrote, alongside a screenshot of her tweet.
“That same energy is needed right now,” Chmerkovskiy added. “No one needs your prayer if you don’t know what’s real or fake.”
RELATED: Maks Chmerkovskiy Calls Kirstie Alley Out for War Post as He Shares New Updates from Ukraine
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But in his tribute on Tuesday, Chmerkovskiy insisted there was more to he and Alley’s story than fans have seen.
“Some of our relationship is heavily documented. Most of it is known to select few. All of it was like a wild rollercoaster,” he said.
“I thought you’d be around forever,” he said. “I wish we spoke often Thank you for everything. I love you Kirstie Alley.”
The feeling, appears, to have been mutual. Chmerkovskiy made such an impact on Alley, she wrote a chapter in her book, The Art of Men (I Prefer Mine al Dente), about him. “The book is about how men have influenced my life,” she told PEOPLE in 2012. “Every chapter is named after an art. He’s the only one that’s the art of a name. ‘The Art of Maks,’ because he’s a special category. He is a special guy.”
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Alley’s children, True and Lillie Parker, announced the actress had died from cancer. “We are sad to inform you that our incredible, fierce and loving mother has passed away after a battle with cancer, only recently discovered,” they said in a statement.
“She was surrounded by her closest family and fought with great strength, leaving us with a certainty of her never-ending joy of living and whatever adventures lie ahead,” they continued. “As iconic as she was on screen, she was an even more amazing mother and grandmother.”
The siblings added how their mother’s “zest and passion for life, her children, grandchildren and her many animals, not to mention her eternal joy of creating, were unparalleled and leave us inspired to live life to the fullest just as she did.”
They also thanked the “incredible team of doctors and nurses” at the Moffitt Cancer Center.
Their statement concluded with True and Lillie thanking Alley’s fans, sharing, “We thank you for your love and prayers and ask that you respect our privacy at this difficult time.”
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